Even though it is unusual for a number of air crashes to occur so close to one another, there is a bit of math underpinning it, randomness (the likes the universe is full of) clusters things together. Remember the old question of why buses always come in threes. Randomness. It's the same principle. People look for, and see patterns where there is only randomness at work.

 

Another thing to bear in mind, academics Wolfgang Gaissmaier and Gerd Gigerenzer, crunched some numbers regarding fatal road accidents in the USA after 9/11. They found that there had been a marked decrease in air miles flown by Americans, something like 12% to 20% fewer passenger air miles travelled, whereas road use increased substantially. By Gassmaier and Gigerenzer's estimate, this extra road use accounted for an additional 1,595 deaths on US roads above what would have been expected statistically. An interesting aspect of their research was the absence of a uniform reduction in air travel across countries hit by terrorist attacks. New York showed a much greater increase in road use, but that is perhaps to be expected, but so also did the US Midwest. In contrast, after the 2004 Madrid train bombing, there was no observable increase in road use and traffic in Spain.

 

Travelling on motorcycle is something like 3000 times more dangerous than traveling by plane. By car, 100 times more dangerous. After airtravel, the safest mode of travel is by train, it's only twice as dangerous as travelling by plane, and if I am not mistaken, the odds of being involved in a fatal air crash is 1 in 3 000 000.

They don't call them donorcycles for nothing.

Yea, in my life, seen 2 motorcycle crashes, and lost my brother in one. Car crashes, Ive seen about 4 my whole life. 

Not only passengers give airlines the cold shoulder. Aircraft manufacturers do as well. Well they did in the past, not so sure they do now.

If an airline breaks one of their planes, they used to dis own the airline for sometime, and example of that is the Air New Zealand DC10 disaster. ANZ was given the cold shoulder from MDC.  It happened to United as well, but not for very long, as United was a big customer.

I wanted to add something to this thread. I'm watching something on Netflix now called "Air Disasters". It's a pretty enlightening show that makes you realize all the stuff we see in the VC has a definite purpose, and that airlines didn't always have those. As well as improving baggage policy, crew resource management, and even limiting pilot fear in a disaster.

 

It's one of those discovery like shows with overacted dramatic scenes (but not as bad) and a LOT of information.

 

It covers a number of flights all the way back to the 70s.

 

This show kind of shows the drastic measures taken to find out what happened, and how to prevent future incidents.

 

Also...I didn't know that 747s could carry a 5th engine. Just to carry it. Not use it.

 

I also didn't know they at one point cannibalized parts from wrecks.

(...), and example of that is the Air New Zealand DC10 disaster. ANZ was given the cold shoulder from MDC.  (...)

 

 

Some shameful cover up on the part of ANZ for their mistakes and policies back in those days, as the aircraft/manufacturer was never to blame.

 

And I'm no Lufthansa/GermanWings/Air Berlin fanboi for sure!   :ph34r:

 

 

Some shameful cover up on the part of ANZ for their mistakes and policies back in those days, as the aircraft/manufacturer was never to blame.

Yes Olli, that is so true, and is still talked about today. Those wounds will linger on for many years yet

I just watched an episode about the two issues with the cargo door on the DC10. Man...that was horrible on McDonnell Douglas's part.

A friend of mine has traveled all over the world, in some countries you just don't feel good getting on board of some airlines, safety standards are definitely not equal around the world.  Personally I plan my travels with big names only.  Of course staying clear of war zones that's another story.

Yes Olli, that is so true, and is still talked about today. Those wounds will linger on for many years yet

 

Read some very informative narration on that crash a long time ago and a N.Z. TV feature from 2012, broadcast in Germany just the other month, was very moving (and disturbing!) as well.

 

(...)

And I'm no Lufthansa/GermanWings/Air Berlin fanboi for sure!   :ph34r:

 

 

Just learned that Lufthansa has picked up flights into Ben Gurion again. German pilots' union ("Pilotenvereinigung Cockpit") is reported to criticize that decision strongly.

 

German article:

http://web.de/magazine/reise/fernweh/19160462-lufthansa-fliegt-mehrtaegiger-pause-tel-aviv.html#.news_spotlight.Lufthansa%20fliegt%20ins%20Krisengebiet.689.632

A friend of mine has traveled all over the world, in some countries you just don't feel good getting on board of some airlines, safety standards are definitely not equal around the world.  Personally I plan my travels with big names only.  Of course staying clear of war zones that's another story.

 

The EU publishes a list of airlines banned from Europe. Apart from individual airlines, all airlines from particular states can be banned. As an example on page 1, All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Afghanistan

 

 

 

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/doc/list_en.pdf

Read some very informative narration on that crash a long time ago and a N.Z. TV feature from 2012, broadcast in Germany just the other month, was very moving (and disturbing!) as well.

Would you believe they only just played that here. With recent events, the DVI teams going to Ukraine /Netherlands will use the method that was developed @Erebus. Which is good for families in respect that identification is now a more exact science.

So  tragedies sometimes create better human understanding in a crisis. A lot was learned from Erebus, and the lessons learned are being put to good use today.